Human Impact Project

Volunteers observing immigrants at scheduled ICE appointments at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego have been cited for loitering by Federal Protective Service officers. Since late February 2026, volunteers have been prohibited from monitoring hallways and the check-in area, with signs posted citing federal regulations against obstructing access to federal property. Volunteers stated they were documenting apprehensions and providing support to immigrants with court hearings, and plan to contest the citations.

Ahmed, a nursing student and certified nursing assistant with legal status and a work permit, was detained by ICE while attending a routine immigration check-in. He immigrated to the United States around 2023 from Dadaab refugee camps. Project Relief is raising funds for legal representation to secure his release and prevent his transfer to another state.

Dayton Andre Lindsay, a Jamaican green-card holder who has legally resided in the United States for over 28 years, was detained by ICE on February 27 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport upon returning from vacation in Jamaica. Lindsay is married to Benji Lindsay and has a blended family of five children and seven grandchildren. Before his arrest, he worked as an employee at a Walmart Distribution Center in Joliet, Illinois, and as a chef at several local restaurants. A judge's ruling noted that while his individual prior offenses were "not particularly serious," together they displayed a "habitual disregard for the law." He remains in ICE custody at Hopkins County Jail in Kentucky and his attorneys filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention.

An Indian citizen entered the United States on June 17, 2023, and was initially detained and released on conditional parole on June 19, 2023. Over the following two years, he complied with all ICE reporting requirements, attended scheduled check-ins, obtained employment authorization, and worked lawfully as a commercial truck driver. He also filed an asylum application in October 2023 with removal proceedings still pending. On February 25, 2026, after obtaining required ICE permission, he commenced a work trip. The next day, ICE officers approached him, claimed he had an ICE violation, and took his biometrics despite his assertion that he had prior authorization. He was transferred to Indio, California, where his phone and wallet were confiscated, then detained in El Centro for two days before being transferred to Imperial Regional Adult Detention Facility. He was never provided written explanation of the alleged violation, supporting documentation, or opportunity to contest his arrest. On April 1, 2026, he filed a habeas corpus petition claiming his detention violated the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause. The court granted his petition, finding that ICE's revocation of his conditional parole without a pre-deprivation hearing violated due process rights, and ordered his immediate release subject to the conditions of his preexisting parole.

Estela Ramos Baten was detained during a mandatory immigration check-in and deported to Guatemala with her teenage daughter Nory Sontay Ramos on July 4. Ramos Baten had lived in Los Angeles since 2016 and suffered from liver cirrhosis and high blood pressure. She died nine weeks after deportation from complications of liver cirrhosis. Her teenage daughter remained in Guatemala.

Two Iranian Christian converts have been detained by ICE since December during a routine immigration check-in, despite being vetted at the border, receiving work authorization, and actively volunteering at a Houston church. One man had evangelized to Muslims in Iran, an offense carrying the death penalty under Iranian law. An immigration judge found one man removable in November, and the men now face deportation to Iran amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Their church and legal supporters are working to secure qualified representation for their asylum cases.

A Nicaraguan man has been in immigration detention since February 24, 2026, after being arrested at a scheduled ICE check-in. ICE did not set bond and did not provide him with a custody review by an immigration judge as required under the Board of Immigration Appeals' decision in Matter of Yajure Hurtado. A recent DHS policy classifies anyone arrested within the United States and charged with being inadmissible under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i) as an 'applicant for admission' subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A), a change from prior policy that allowed for bond or conditional parole under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). He filed a habeas corpus petition and ex parte application for a temporary restraining order seeking to prohibit his removal, transfer outside the Central District of California, and continued detention without a constitutionally adequate bond hearing. The federal court granted the temporary restraining order, ordering respondents to either provide him an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) on or before April 7, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., or release him from custody by April 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. The court set a hearing on the preliminary injunction for April 16, 2026.

Luis Beltran Yañez-Cruz, a Honduran immigrant, died while in ICE custody at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Imperial County. His daughter Jocelyn provided a statement read at a February 21, 2026 vigil calling for justice. Organizers documented conditions of medical neglect, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions at the facility that they say contributed to detainee deaths.

Huabing Xie, a Chinese immigrant, died while in ICE custody at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Imperial County. Activists organized an interfaith vigil on February 21, 2026, outside the facility to honor Xie and another detainee who died there, highlighting conditions of medical neglect, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions at the detention center.

Jonathan Enrique Meza Ruiz, an Indiana man who came to the United States as an unauthorized minor nearly two decades ago, was ordered released by federal judge Matthew P. Brookman or granted a bond hearing by ICE. The ruling is part of a nationwide legal battle over whether the Trump administration can detain people in non-border areas for immigration violations and hold them without bond under a border-related legal provision.

Lucia, a pregnant woman detained by ICE after appearing for a regular check-in appointment, began experiencing heavy vaginal bleeding in the middle of the night when she was two months pregnant. She requested immediate medical attention but was not taken to see medical staff for several hours. Instead, medical staff left her alone in a small room without food, water, or pain medication while she bled heavily. After significant blood loss, she was transported to an emergency room with her arms and legs shackled while actively miscarrying. She required a blood transfusion due to the miscarriage. She was returned to ICE custody and continued experiencing abdominal pain and heavy bleeding for another month before being deported.

Alicia arrived for a routine ICE check-in in Louisiana and was detained without warning, then sent to Basile detention center. She soon discovered she was pregnant. She received small portions of poor-quality food that left her feeling weak and hungry. By May, she began experiencing severe abdominal pain, cramping, and bleeding. She was taken to a local hospital for a blood test but received no explanation of her medical treatment or interpretation. At the emergency room, medical personnel performed an invasive uterine test without her consent, injected her with an unknown medication, and informed her that she had miscarried. Despite this miscarriage, ICE returned her to Basile that night and detained her for two more months. She continued to experience heavy bleeding, swelling, fever, and severe uterine pain, submitting repeated sick call requests that went unanswered. In July 2025, ICE deported Alicia, separating her from her children, and she later sought hospital care for a severe infection acquired while in custody.

Angie Rodriguez, a Colombian asylum seeker, was detained by ICE following a routine immigration check-in in July 2025 and discovered she was pregnant while in custody at Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, California. While detained, she experienced food insecurity, struggling to eat facility meals due to their appearance and smell, with limited alternatives beyond processed foods like instant noodles and chips. She received no adequate prenatal health care or education for weeks after her pregnancy was confirmed. Rodriguez experienced brown discharge and was transported to an off-site hospital where she miscarried. Upon hospital release, she was placed in medical isolation at the ICE detention center before being released. Her case is among more than a dozen documented by the ACLU of pregnant women held without proper medical care at immigration facilities. Rodriguez filed a lawsuit claiming unconstitutional detention, arguing that the stress of sudden arrest, coupled with inadequate food options and lack of prenatal care, may have contributed to the loss of her pregnancy.

A 48-year-old father of five with pending U-visa protection for victims of crimes cooperating with law enforcement was released from detention at Whipple Federal Building with only his belt, glasses, and wallet. ICE agents withheld his work permit, Social Security card, and consular card, claiming they did not know where the documents were. He has remained largely confined to his house out of fear.

Luis Roldan-Cerda, a DACA recipient, was detained and deported by ICE on February 17, 2026, after attending a biometric appointment for his U visa application at an immigration office in McAllen, Texas. He was deported to Reynosa, Mexico, and spent more than five weeks stranded there, witnessing cartel violence in the city. A federal judge ordered his return to the United States, and he was reunited with his wife Denisse Garcia and their children. Roldan-Cerda, who was brought to the U.S. at age three, said he was grateful to be back with his family and planned to return to his job as an electrician.

Niury Guerra, a Cuban national and wife of a U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE during a scheduled green card interview appointment in Dallas. ICE cited a 2018 removal after an attempted unauthorized entry with a fraudulent passport and a 2022 unauthorized re-entry as the basis for her arrest. Guerra has no criminal record beyond immigration violations and remains held at a detention center approximately 200 miles from her family, including her 15-month-old daughter. Rafael Alambarrio, a Venezuelan asylum seeker and husband of a McKinney elementary school teacher, was detained by ICE on January 15, 2026 during a routine check-in appointment at the Dallas ICE office. He had a credible fear determination from 2023, was seeking asylum, and was waiting for his green card application to be processed as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. His detention occurred after the Trump administration paused processing of green card applications from 19 countries including Venezuela. He is now held at Prairieland Detention Facility awaiting a hearing scheduled for February 3, 2026.

Ludovic Mbock, a 38-year-old competitive gamer from Cameroon, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on February 17, 2026, during a routine work permit renewal check-in at the Baltimore ICE office. Mbock legally entered the U.S. as a teenager and has lived in Maryland for 18 years. He was transferred across multiple states during 25 days in detention. His lawyer and family fear deportation to Cameroon, where same-sex activity is criminalized and he faces danger as an openly gay man. A federal judge ruled he will be held for 10 days pending a bond hearing in Immigration Court.

Diana Butnarciuc, a Moldovan immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally in 2008, was arrested by ICE agents on February 13, 2026, during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interview for a permanent resident card in Las Vegas. Butnarciuc, who is married to Marine veteran Patrick Baja and has two children, has no criminal record, works, and pays taxes. Although she faced a 2018 deportation order after her asylum claim was denied, her marriage to Baja made her eligible for a green card. Her attorney stated that Butnarciuc entered the U.S. legally and should be entitled to permanent resident status. She is being held at Henderson Detention Center, and her husband is seeking her release.

Terez Metry, a 28-year-old dental assistant with no criminal record, was detained by ICE in Alabama immediately after receiving I-130 approval during a routine immigration interview at a Department of Homeland Security office in Nashville. Metry, who had fled Egypt as a teenager at age 13 and received a removal order at that time, was separated from her U.S. citizen husband Dominique Flemister during the interview. Metry had been living and working in Nashville since 2018 and the couple believed they were following proper legal procedures for her immigration case.

Amalia Arrieta, an 18-month-old from Venezuela, was detained with her mother Kheilin Valero Marcano following an ICE appointment in El Paso on December 11, 2025, and transferred to Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Over weeks, Amalia developed severe respiratory symptoms including high fevers, persistent cough, and dangerously low blood-oxygen levels (dropping to the 50s). On January 18, 2026, she was hospitalized at Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio for 10 days, diagnosed with pneumonia, COVID-19, RSV, and respiratory distress. Upon discharge on January 28, doctors prescribed her a nebulizer, respiratory medications, and nutritional supplements. When ICE returned her to Dilley, detention staff allegedly confiscated her prescribed medications and breathing equipment. Her parents were forced to wait in daily outdoor lines to request treatment, often being denied. After lawyers filed an emergency habeas corpus petition in federal court, the family was released on either January 31 or February 7, 2026.

Amalia, an 18-month-old Venezuelan girl, arrived in the United States with her parents Kheilin Valero Marcano and Stiven Arrieta Prieto through the CBP One appointment system and was living in El Paso while awaiting asylum processing. On December 11, 2024, the family was arrested during a routine ICE check-in despite complying with all immigration requirements and checking in regularly. They were detained at Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. In early January 2026, Amalia developed a high fever, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. Despite her parents' repeated requests for medical care at the facility's clinic, staff provided only Tylenol. On January 18, her oxygen levels dropped critically to the 50s, and she was rushed to Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio, where she was hospitalized for 10 days and diagnosed with pneumonia, COVID-19, RSV, and viral bronchitis. After discharge on January 28, doctors prescribed nebulized breathing treatments and nutritional supplements. ICE returned Amalia to Dilley detention instead of her prior community, where staff confiscated her nebulizer, albuterol, and nutritional supplements. Her parents were forced to wait daily in an outdoor 'pill line' and were frequently turned away without her prescribed medications. After her attorneys filed an emergency federal habeas corpus petition, the family was released in February 2026. Upon release, they were transported to a shelter in Laredo without her medications, birth certificate, vaccination records, or money for travel. Amalia developed behavioral changes after detention, crying when separated from her mother. Her case is one of more than 500 infants and toddlers under age three detained by ICE since January 2025, according to documentation by MS NOW and The Marshall Project.

Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano, a 10-year-old fourth-grader from Columbia Heights Public School District in suburban Minneapolis, was detained by ICE agents on January 6, 2026, along with her mother Rosa Elena Caisaguano Cajilema while being driven to her school bus stop. Agents told Elizabeth they would take her to school but instead transported both of them 1,200 miles to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. The family had fled Ecuador and sought asylum in 2020; their asylum application was denied in September 2025, but they had a pending appeal. Both developed illnesses during their month-long detention—Elizabeth with flu-like symptoms and her mother with hives—with limited medical care provided. At least six other children from the same school district were sent to the Dilley detention center over the following weeks as part of Operation Metro Surge. After a habeas corpus petition was filed, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ruled on February 2 that they could not be deported while their case proceeds. Elizabeth and her mother were released on February 3 and returned to Minnesota with their asylum appeal remaining pending.

A 22-year-old native of Peru fled to the United States with her family in September 2022 to escape death threats. She was paroled into the US after brief detention at the border due to facility overcrowding. While living in Illinois, she updated her address with ICE, filed an asylum application in July 2023, and married a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 2024. ICE issued her a Notice to Appear on May 2, 2024, but served it at an outdated Florida address, so she was unaware of removal proceedings held in her absence on October 2, 2025. At a virtual check-in appointment on February 5, 2026, ICE arrested her despite no warning in the appointment confirmation. She was held at Clinton County Jail in Frankfort, Indiana (later transferred to Clark County Jail in Jeffersonville). She sought to reopen her removal proceedings, which was granted on February 20, 2026. She filed Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) and Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence) with USCIS. She petitioned for habeas corpus relief, arguing her detention without a bond hearing violates federal law. The court granted her petition, ordering the government to provide her an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) by 5:00 p.m. on May 26, 2026, or release her under reasonable conditions of supervision.

A man was taken into custody by ICE on February 4, 2026, after being referred by the Stanislaus County Probation Department. He had previously turned himself in to ICE in June 2015 and was released on an order of recognizance with the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. He was convicted of a crime in 2022 and violated the terms of his supervision, leading to his re-detention. On March 24, 2026, an immigration court denied bond, stating it lacked jurisdiction. He filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging his detention and seeking immediate release. On April 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted his petition, ordering his immediate release on the same conditions he was subject to before his February 4, 2026 re-detention, and enjoining ICE from re-detaining him without notice and a pre-detention hearing before an immigration judge.

Two Afghan brothers with pending asylum claims were detained by ICE during a routine check-in with the Alternatives to Detention unit on Tuesday morning. Mohammad Emran Kohistani and Mohammad Sajad Kohistani, who presented themselves at the U.S. border in 2023 and were released on their own recognizance, were told they were not "appropriately vetted" at the border. Their attorney filed an emergency habeas petition and temporary restraining order, with a federal court hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, a Guatemalan immigrant who worked as a truck driver and construction worker at Marcello Masonry on Shelter Island for over 20 years, was detained by ICE agents on February 4, 2026, at approximately 6:30 a.m. while commuting to work at the North Ferry terminal in Greenport. He had no criminal background and was the primary breadwinner for his wife and newborn daughter. During his 23-day detention, Ardon Osorio was held first at a facility in New Jersey for three days, then transferred to a holding facility at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan, where he was chained by wrists and ankles in an extremely overcrowded room and described the conditions as "really bad." His employer, Bobby Marcello, hired an attorney and described him as "a stand-up guy in every respect" who was deeply integrated in the community, even caring for his boss's children when needed. Community members and OLA of Eastern Long Island organized fundraising efforts to support his family during detention. Ardon Osorio was released in March and returned to work at Marcello Masonry.

Dylan, a 20-year-old Venezuelan student at Ellis Prep High School in the Bronx, was detained by ICE on May 21, 2025, immediately after appearing at federal immigration court in Lower Manhattan for an asylum hearing. He entered the United States legally under Biden-era policies and has no criminal record. His attorney stated he was entitled to full legal protections to pursue asylum relief. Dylan's mother reported he has been suffering from untreated stomach problems and has been moved to at least four different detention centers within five to six days. The Department of Homeland Security placed him under expedited removal proceedings.

Ivan Garcia, a father and North Venice Little League community member, was detained by ICE while attending a scheduled immigration appointment related to his citizenship case. He was subsequently transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County. His family has launched a fundraiser to cover legal fees and living expenses, with community support from the local youth sports league.

A Natalia high school junior attended what was supposed to be a routine U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-in appointment in San Antonio to update his photograph. The appointment resulted in his arrest and detainment, leaving a toddler and stepfather behind for months.

Susanne García Nazco, a Cuban woman who entered the U.S. through the southern border in 2022 and received an I-220A form, has been detained for more than six months at a facility in Louisiana. She says she submitted a document to immigration authorities and a judge that she believed confirmed approval of her parole application, and that ICE agents at their Miramar, Florida office even told her she no longer needed to check in. She was arrested in February 2026 as part of an ICE investigation into alleged immigration fraud and remains held without bond while her family appeals. Her husband, a U.S. citizen, said the family has spent about $30,000 on attorneys and started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover legal costs, while her mother, who is battling cancer, continues to support her case.

Lázara Santana, 57, migrated to the United States from Cuba at age 11. She lost her refugee status 20 years ago for selling drugs. For two decades she checked in annually with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under parole conditions and held work permits while raising her son, a U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan and voted for Trump. In fall 2025, ICE took her into custody at a check-in and deported her to Mexico, where she was given the choice of Congo or Mexico. She now rents a shared room with money sent by her partner and fears leaving her house.

Roberto, a Cuban man, was deported to Mexico in mid-February 2026 after being detained at an immigration appointment where he was informed his I-220A form was invalid. He was held for three weeks before being transferred to Tapachula without money, identification, or communication access. His U.S. citizen fiancée in Michigan eventually reconnected with him and traveled to deliver documents so they could marry. Roberto now works as a barber in Cancún while awaiting a spousal visa determination.

Maryna Ishchenko, a Ukrainian asylum seeker from eastern Ukraine, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in appointment at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. She had previously been detained at the U.S.-Mexico border when she and her U.S. citizen husband, Asael Ramirez, presented her asylum case, but was released after he agreed to sponsor her. Despite being married to a U.S. citizen and complying with all required check-ins, she was detained again. She is experiencing abdominal medical issues exacerbated by anxiety and fear while in detention. Her husband has spent $15,000 on her case and is seeking a habeas corpus petition for her release.

A non-citizen who entered the U.S. without lawful admission in December 2021 was detained by ICE on January 30, 2026 after appearing at a scheduled appointment in Los Angeles. He had previously missed an immigration court hearing on January 12, 2026, resulting in a removal order. The court granted his habeas petition and ordered he receive a bond hearing within seven days or be released.

Sithy Yi, a Cambodian Genocide survivor who arrived in the U.S. in 1981, was released from ICE detention following a federal judge's order. Yi was detained at a routine immigration check-in in Santa Ana on January 8 and held at the Adelanto Detention Facility for almost two months.

Maher Tarabishi was detained by ICE in October 2024 during a routine check-in at the Dallas Field Office. His son Wael, 30, who has Pompe disease and requires round-the-clock care, was hospitalized twice following his father's arrest. Wael died on January 23, 2026. Despite ICE detention standards allowing for emergency-supervised release to attend funerals and the family's humanitarian requests citing Maher's 14 years of compliance with supervised release requirements, immigration officials denied his request to attend his son's burial.

Carlos, a Venezuelan national with withholding of removal and work authorization, was detained on January 28, 2026, during a routine monthly check-in at the Kansas City ICE office where he was required to report under the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. Despite his judge-approved protection, valid work authorization, clean six-year record, and pending permanent legal status applications with his wife, ICE detained him. After a chaotic series of transfers across Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Arizona—during which he was held in overcrowded conditions—Carlos was deported to Mexico on a tarmac in Arizona, where he remains separated from his wife and children.

Anderson Tumin-Rivas, a 24-year-old Guatemalan national living in southern Arkansas, was detained by ICE after showing up for a scheduled immigration check-in appointment in Little Rock on January 22, 2026. He is now held in Winn Parish, Louisiana, awaiting deportation to Guatemala. Tumin-Rivas had been living in the U.S. under the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program and was married with a young son.

Heidy Sánchez was separated from her one-year-old daughter during an immigration appointment when ICE agents took the child away while she was breastfeeding. Sánchez was subsequently deported to Cuba and remains separated from her daughter and American husband eight months later.

A Chinese citizen who entered the U.S. without inspection in July 2023 was re-detained by ICE on January 23, 2026, when he appeared for a routine check-in. He had been living freely in Los Angeles under an Order of Release on Recognizance since 2023 and filed an asylum application based on fear of political persecution in China. The court ordered his immediate release, finding his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated his due process rights.

Francisco Gaspar Andrés, a 48-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, died on December 3, 2025, at The Hospitals of Providence East in El Paso after 93 days in ICE custody at Camp East Montana detention facility. He was arrested in Florida on September 1 and transferred to the facility on September 19, marking the first confirmed death there. His health deteriorated in mid-November with complications from alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis, low sodium levels, and kidney failure. He was hospitalized on November 16 and placed on dialysis and a liver transplant list before being pronounced dead on December 3. His daughter said during weekly phone calls he reported suffering from lack of food, lack of medical care, and terrible conditions, and stated: 'My dad was taken to the hospital when he was already dying, and it was too late.' Another detainee confirmed he had asked for help but did not receive it. His wife, Lucía Pedro Juan, was deported to Guatemala on November 28 before learning of his death. An immigration judge had ordered his removal on November 14, two days before his hospitalization. The El Paso County Medical Examiner attributed his death to natural causes stemming from advanced alcoholic liver cirrhosis with renal failure and internal bleeding, though conflicting reports indicate authorities also ruled it a homicide.

Yannier Vazquez Hidalgo, a Cuban man working at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Central New York, was ordered deported to Ecuador by an immigration judge. Hidalgo fled Cuba and married his husband in the U.S., requesting asylum based on persecution fears as a gay man. He was detained by federal agents in October during a routine ICE appointment in Mattydale. Though he passed an immigration test demonstrating a credible threat to his life in Cuba due to his sexual orientation, the judge ordered his deportation to a country where he has no ties and where he argues he will face persecution for being gay and Cuban.

Armande Namegni, a 30-year-old Cameroonian asylum seeker, was detained by ICE on January 22, 2026, during a routine immigration check-in in St. Louis. Officers reported finding a pending shoplifting charge on her record. Namegni stated the charge was misattributed to her and should have been cleared. Officers stated it appeared in the court system. She was transported to Phelps County jail in Rolla and remained in custody awaiting her asylum hearing. She was denied bond.

A federal court judge ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to explain why it detained Yanick Joao Carneiro, an Angolan man, during a routine immigration check-in at an office in Scarborough. Carneiro is undocumented but filed for asylum within his first year in the U.S. His lawyer stated he has no criminal record. He was granted a temporary 72-hour order preventing his removal while the court determines why he was detained.

A 25-year-old Guatemalan woman of indigenous Mam ethnicity was detained on January 16, 2026, at an ICE check-in appointment in Eugene due to a pending felony criminal mistreatment case in Marion County. She claims persecution in Guatemala based on her indigenous heritage and reports her daughter is at risk of violence because her former partner is a gang member. Court records show she was released pending the outcome of her habeas petition after attorneys argued she posed neither a flight risk nor danger to the community.

Alicbiades "Alex" Lazaro Ramirez Gonzalez, husband of Yannier Vazquez Hidalgo, was ordered deported to Ecuador by an immigration judge one week before his husband received the same order. Ramirez Gonzalez fled Cuba with his husband and they married in the U.S., both requesting asylum based on persecution fears as gay men. He was detained by federal agents in October during a routine ICE appointment in Mattydale. Like his husband, he faces deportation to a country where he has no ties and argues he will be persecuted for being gay and Cuban.

Jose Rafael Alambarrio, a Venezuelan national who fled political persecution and arrived in the U.S. in 2023, was detained on January 15, 2026, during a routine annual check-in at the Dallas ICE office. Alambarrio was in the process of applying for a green card and had been granted parole while pursuing asylum. Despite having no criminal record and faithfully attending all previous check-ins, he was arrested and initially held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. He was subsequently transferred without notice to an ICE facility in Mississippi. His wife, a McKinney teacher, has made a public plea for his release and is struggling to fight for his release from a distance.

A Peruvian man who had been paroled into the United States under the Migrant Protection Protocols program was detained during a scheduled ICE check-in appointment on January 13, 2026. He had been living in Memphis, Tennessee, had obtained a driver's license and work authorization, and had been regularly reporting to ICE as required. The court denied his habeas corpus petition challenging his detention without an individualized bond hearing. Another Peruvian citizen, who entered the U.S. in November 2022, was detained on December 1, 2025 after voluntarily appearing at the Memphis Immigration office for allegedly failing to comply with ATD program conditions. He had previously been released on parole due to time in custody constraints and placed in the Alternatives to Detention program. The court denied his habeas petition seeking release or a bond hearing, ruling that as an applicant for admission he is subject to mandatory detention under federal law.

A same-sex female couple in Pennsylvania had one woman detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a regularly scheduled immigration check-in. The detainee was transferred to a detention center in California.

A 25-year-old dual national of Venezuela and Colombia entered the United States without inspection on February 24, 2024, and was released by ICE on an Order of Release on Recognizance under the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. On January 13, 2026, while appearing for a scheduled check-in in San Bernardino, California, ICE took her into custody, alleging violations of her supervision conditions. The court granted her Temporary Restraining Order application, finding she was likely detained in violation of her due process rights, and ordered her immediate release pending resolution of her habeas corpus petition.